Doctors spend more time on administrative work than with patients, study saysApril 6, 2017

A new study by the Palo Alto Medical Foundation reveals that doctors spend 51 percent of their time on administrative tasks such as taking notes, filling out paperwork, refilling prescriptions, and taking phone calls. The study concluded that only 49 percent of their time is spent meeting with patients face-to-face.

Augmedix, a San Francisco-based startup, is trying to change that. Augmedix uses Google Glass to provide a remote scribe service that helps doctors make more efficient use of their time and resources. But exactly how efficient is this service?

According to Augmedix, their remote scribe service can reduce electronic health record (EHR) charting time by up to 80 percent. As a result, doctors are able to see up to 25% more patients.

It’s these kinds of statistics that have sparked interest from investors. To date, Augmedix has raised about $60 million.

Dignity Health, one of Augmedix’s earliest investors, has been using the remote scribe service for about two years. Dr. Davin Lundquist, chief medical information officer of Dignity Health, says that his company already has plans to double or triple their usage within the next year.

“Because physicians don’t want to sacrifice time with patients, they just end up spending a lot of time after clinic to complete their documentation,” Lundquist stated. “It is absolutely something we’re interested in addressing. By far the biggest burden is capturing the documentation after visits.”

To read more about how Augmedix is using technology to shape the future of healthcare, click here.